A Fluffy Face with a Tough Carapace

Linked Universe Scribbles

One-shots:

Warhorse Twilight & Warrior | drama | 8k After a long and grueling day on the road, Twilight feels like he’s at the end of his rope. But before he can lose his grip, he receives a helping hand, and it comes in the form of a sharp retort and winning smile.

Requests:

Fool’s Gold Sky & Everyone | humor, drama Sky makes a mistake and the entire group pays for it.

Hotel Oasis Legend & Wild, Legend / Marin | humor, fluff, romance Wild convinces Legend to let loose via a relaxing spa treatment.

~A deep dive into Warriors’s search for healing, and how Sky has something to do with it.

<< Prologue/Chapter 1 <<

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Chapter 12: "My Brother's Keeper"

Epona raced down the slopes of Eldin Volcano, her hooves tearing up the ground, white mane blazing behind her. Sky grimaced as he gripped Twilight’s midriff from behind, the saddle walloping his undercarriage like he was one of Groose’s punching bags. This was nothing like the weightless bliss of loftwing flight. It had to be payback for what he’d put the captain through on his bird. His face smooshed against Twilight’s back as the rancher jerked the reins with a sudden “Whoa!” and brought the horse to a halt.

As the dust settled, Sky blinked the grit from his eyes. They had arrived at the Links’ new campsite—a different part of the woods from where they’d had their battle, thank goodness. Twilight leapt to the ground with the dexterity of someone who’d done this a thousand times.

“Done and done,” he said, patting his steed’s muscular neck. “Found Epona and took care of the monsters. Or what was left of them, anyway.”

Time sat on a fallen log with his bandaged knee propped up. He had shed his armor, the plates stacked to the side, and a bowl of one of Wild’s hearty soups was cupped in his hands. “Nice work, Pup. You too, Knight of Skyloft.”

Wincing, Sky dismounted with far less grace than his companion, folding over as his feet hit the ground. After a grueling fight followed by a painful horseback ride, Sky didn’t think he’d feel right again for another week. “There weren’t many left,” he said, hands on his knees. “They were hiding out in the caves. A couple bomb flowers did the trick.”

~A deep dive into Warriors’s search for healing, and how Sky has something to do with it.

<< Prologue/Chapter 1 <<

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Chapter 11: "A Thorn in the Flesh"

It was a shameful truth, but Warriors couldn’t deny that their little game of cat and mouse was intoxicating.

The rose gardens were in full bloom, all scarlet seduction in the moonlight, their saccharine scent infusing the grounds with sinister promises. Blossoms the size of Gorons sprang from the bushes, unable to conceal the thorns that lurked beneath. Statues of all shapes and sizes were scattered about the premises. Their alabaster surfaces gleamed like ghosts in the mist, and it struck Warriors that every one of them was a sculpture of him—the legendary hero, in all his forms and manifestations across the ages—past, present, and future. There were heroes in animal form, heroes as young children, full-grown heroes wielding items representing their quests. The glaring similarity among them was the mark of the Triforce emblazoned onto the backs of their hands: a symbol of the greatest power in the universe.

Cia had certainly gone overboard with the decor.

Warriors gave his head a rough shake, clearing it of the sorceress’s odious infatuation. With the newly acquired Master Sword in hand, he felt a surge of superhuman power blaze through his veins as he led his troops on to the Temple of Souls. Redeads littered the garden grounds, obstructing their path. They were a cinch. Warriors cut down a horde of twenty of them with one spin of the sacred sword, his battle cry reverberating across the courtyard. Armed with the Blade of Evil’s Bane, nothing was impossible.

He was unbeatable.

Thanks so much for the ask!

1. Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

This may disappoint some readers, but my answer is Crimson Ties... 🙊 To this day, it remains my one and only fic where I wrote and posted it chapter-by-chapter instead of writing and editing it fully first before posting. Sadly for me, I think that shows. Looking back on it now, I feel like I fell into a few bad writing habits in my rush to get out each chapter. And my goodness, the pacing!! It's kind of amusing now to see each subsequent chapter's word count climb by the thousands, lol. Still very proud of that plot! But yeah, if I had the chance to rewrite it without repercussions, I'd take it. Great learning experience, though!

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

Answered here! ❤️

26. What would you describe as OOC?

I think in-character or out-of-character is fairly subjective! The nice part about fanworks is that they allow the writer to explore and experiment with different voices and themes. However, in my experience, I tend to lose immersion quickly if I'm feeling a disconnect between the fanwork and the original work, so I understand why this topic can feel so weighty. For me personally, it's been super beneficial to gain a complete understanding of the original work the characters I'm writing for come from before I tackle any major project involving said characters. I've written for LOZ and LU, so that means devoting full playthroughs to the games as well as consistently rereading the comics. This helps me gain a full picture of the character's background and traits; the game's atmosphere, quirks, and central themes; and continuity and characterization from the comics. It might sound like a lot of work, and it can be *quite* the balancing act to reconcile both the games and the comics—but honestly, it's been one of my favorite challenges to take on as a writer. Fitting all the pieces together and treating it like a puzzle to be solved is one of my favorite activities ever! These practices have really helped me feel out a character and the world they call home.

That's just me, though! I'm all for writers having their own methods and interpretations of characters.

Hiya, @jinxedruby! Thank you for the ask ❤️

23. Dialogue or description? Why is the other one so hard?

I gotta go with dialogue. My narration is naturally very flowery, so it can be nice having a break from that because coming up with new metaphors and phrases can quickly lead to writer's block if I'm too particular. There are only so many times I can use the analogy "it sounded like lightning," you know? Haha. I also tend to struggle with transitioning scenes. Do I really need to write "she walked from here to there"? Is "she cavorted from here to there" any better?? How about we skip the cavorting altogether and have Scene 1 move directly to Scene 2, no transition, just a hard cut. Who knows!! 😂

I often use the [insert description of scary nighttime] placeholder if it's fighting me too much just so I can continue in the flow~ I'll return to it later once I've thought more on it after going on a walk or something. Hopefully inspiration will have struck me by then! Hopefully. Besides, dipping inside a character's head and adopting their colloquial speech is one of my favorite parts about writing! Very fun and refreshing.

37. Do you research before writing or while you write? Is it fun or boring for you?

I do both! Before writing my newest longfic, I made sure to return to Hyrule Warriors and Skyward Sword and gave them complete playthroughs, since these were the two games I planned to feature in the story. I did the same with the LU comics and reread them from start to finish. I like to make notes of any characterization points or noteworthy details that might find a place in the fic. Then while I'm writing, I'll research topics that crop up until I'm satisfied with my understanding of them. When a scene took place at HW's Hyrule Castle in one chapter, I looked into medieval castle blueprints and cultural contexts to make sure I was using the right terminology. Granted, I wasn't incorporating, like, 90% of this research into the fic, but it did help me have a better understanding of the details, for sure!

Is it fun? Most of the time! I enjoy learning about various topics. It's one of the great parts about being a writer in that it gives you the chance to dip into all sorts of outlandish topics you wouldn't have looked into otherwise. On the other hand, I don't enjoy all topics equally. For example, even though I looove a high-stakes scene involving a serious injury, I'm a pretty queasy person, so I don't particularly love researching that, even though I consider it important. My brother's a firefighter, and listening to his on-the-job stories can really turn my stomach 😖

RABIDFAIRY!!! Can this day get any better?!?! I think not! 🥹 Dear friend, it's wonderful to see you again! Thank you so much for your ask 🩷

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

Writing Vain(glorious) nearly killed me (I'm overreacting dw), so I've been taking a little break since finishing and don't have any active WIPs aside from that (thanks, one-track mind!). So I'll just share a snippet from a future chapter that hasn't yet posted, if that's okay 🤭

“Captain, don’t worry about what happened back there, okay?” heaved Sky. “That one’s on me. I should’ve known better. I don’t blame you—any of us would have responded like that.”

Warriors stared down the boulder, watching for any sign of movement. He felt spread thin, preyed upon by his own mind.

“Please come back. I’m okay. Everything’s okay.”

Not a hint of her lingered. There were no footprints, no cloying laughter. The running stream sloshed against Warriors’s shoes, swallowing up her every trace.

“You know that, right?”

Warriors shut his eyes, abandoning his vigil. His lungs deflated. “Regardless, my actions are indefensible. I shouldn’t have lost myself like that. I’m sorry for it.”

“Don’t be. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“I can only hope you won’t hold it against me.”

“Not at all. Look, Captain—” Breathless, Sky raked a hand through his hair, which flopped right back into place. “Please come get breakfast. When was the last time you ate? You need to eat. C’mon, Champion made eggs and you should get some before they’re gone."

21. Can you accurately predict how long your fics are going to be? If you can, what's your secret?

When I start writing the draft, I have no concept of how many chapters or the word count that fic will ultimately have. I usually just outline the beginning, the end, and every major plot point in between. Then I find natural breaks that constitute the chapters. These breaks will change the more I add and alter throughout the writing process. All I can really predict is "This fic will be long!" or "This fic will be a one-shot!" And even then, I've been wrong. My first fic, Brothers Becoming, was originally written to be a one-shot, but after I finished and looked at the word count, I realized that I probably shouldn't be posting 16k words in a single chapter? Maybe? 😶 (I hear Chapter 5 of Crimson Ties laughing at me in the background.) So I decided to find a natural break at the halfway point and split it into two chapters. In short, my brain very simply labels them "long-ish" or "short-ish." Yes, very eloquent.

29. What's the hardest thing about writing?

I talked about this a little bit earlier, but definitely the early development stages. The entire brainstorming process and coming up with ideas that connect and feel natural and that I actually feel proud of feels like the bane of my existence sometimes! I guess I can always write a cute sickfic (I HAVE mentioned that it's one of my favorite tropes), but... why write a short sickfic when I could take that idea and include it in a longfic? Something that has depth and is multifaceted and could be a gripping character study?? "But Turtle, it doesn't need to be multifaceted, a short sickfic can reveal a lot about characters!" I know, I know, BUT STILL! What if it could be MORE?? 😫 Sigh. My brain is so annoying sometimes. 😂 It can never be happy unless there are layers. I think it's why I have very few posted fics relative to how many years I've been doing this. If I'm not convinced by the foundational ideas, then it just ain't happening!

33. Give your writing a compliment.

I appreciate the chance to be positive after all that self-criticism, thanks 😆 I like my characterization choices! Usually. That's my number one priority when writing any fanwork, so it always tickles me to hear when someone else enjoys the character portrayals. I might be giving myself too much credit, but I really, really try to do the original work justice. It's a tricky thing, though, because my favorite fics to write are the ones that involve these lengthy character explorations that force our MCs to climb their own personal Mount Everests, so they're going to be a little more angsty and reflective than their default selves. But for the most part, I do my best to write characters that feel true to canon and nuanced. If I fall short, then at least I gave it my all!

36. How do you come up with fic titles? What's the one you're most proud of?

Fic titles typically come to me in the middle of writing the story, or at the end. I like to get a good idea of the central themes or motifs first, then I try to incorporate that into the title. I'm *obsessed* with double meanings and play on words. One of my favorites has been the one I'm currently posting, "Vain(glorious)," because it's a stylistic choice (for... reasons...). I also like the BOTW Zelink fic I posted a while back, "Close to Home," because it addresses the curious question of how Zelda came to possess Link's house in TOTK. "Home" being the Hateno House, but also in that Link himself is Zelda's home... and no matter where she goes to offer aid, Link remains at her side... and she's close to getting somewhere more with him... 🤭

ANTHEM!!! It is soo good to see you here, my friend! I feel so blessed today 🥹Thank you bunches for the ask! 💚

(Side note: Whoever enjoys Linked Universe, please go check out Anthem's works if you haven't already, I'm in love with them.)

2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

Yes 😭 An original work. My biggest hurdle when it comes to writing is the initial brainstorming aspect of it. I've heard a lot of creators say that their ideas are rich and plentiful but executing them is the hard part. Well, I have the opposite problem! Not that the execution is easy, just that the ideas are harder for me. I'd love to create a cast of original characters with my own unique ideas and worldbuilding, but my already-established favorite pieces of media tend to cloud my head. It's difficult for me to craft something with a bunch of interconnecting plot threads that feels authentic and novel (pun, lol) that's believable. I have some ideas, just not enough for a fully fledged story. Maybe someday...

10. Top three favourite fic tropes.

Answered here! ❤️

20. Do you work on a single project or many at the same time? How does that work for you?

I only WISH I were a multi-tasker! But alas, I have such a one-track mind that it only ever allows me to work on one project at a time. At least when it comes to the "actively writing" part. I'll have files of multiple projects where I jot down random ideas that spring up and slowly add to them over time, but if I EVER begin writing the first draft, that's it, I'm done, everything else gets dropped and that's the solo project I'm fixating on. If I even attempt to break away to start something else, my brain goes, What are you doing?! [Blank] is unfinished!! It's merciless that way. I really cannot leave something unfinished to save the life of me. That's applied to every area of my life too. It's like an annoying little sibling poking me in the side, trying to get my attention if I so much as glance in another direction. I can't focus on anything else! Is it my conscience? Is it the perfectionist in me talking? Who knows! Not I, said the cat.

I guess that's one reason why my turtle persona fits me well, haha. I'm very slow. But hopefully slow and steady wins the race? 😅

Thanks so much for the ask! 🥰

9. Thoughts on cliffhangers.

Mixed feelings for sure! I love a good promise of something deliciously juicy to come. Here's the catch, though: That promise actually HAS to come! It's so gutting when a chapter of a favorite fic drops you off a cliff but then you never find out how it resolves because the fic never sees another update... so you're left falling through eternity... T-T Or when a show/film introduces a major plot thread at the end but never delivers on it, or it isn't fully answered for a painful amount of time. (I'm looking at YOU, question that Zuko asks at the end of ATLA Season 3! I had to wait OVER FIVE YEARS for The Search comics to come out, and I'm still salty about it!!) Haha listen, I'm all for audiences using their imaginations to draw their own conclusions, but when it's a metaphorical cliff I'm falling off of, pleeease don't make me free fall into the void for five years! Or forever!

10. Top three favourite fic tropes.

Ooohh, just three?? Off the top of my head, as far as generic tropes go that aren't fandom-specific, I adore Sickfics, Friends to Lovers, and Forced Proximity.

Sickfics never fail to spark that reluctant vulnerability in characters that I love to see. Friends to Lovers is probably my favorite romantic trope. Having two best-friend characters attempt to navigate the messy territory of crossing the Friendship boundary into something more comes with SO much mutual pining and squirmy feelings and cute insecurity, I just can't with it. 🥹 With Forced Proximity, I love that it often incorporates reluctant vulnerability, like with sickfics, except this time with variety! You can have characters who are trapped together somewhere inconvenient, snowed in, marooned with little but each other to cling to... The list goes on! It's the best when characters who aren't normally close are forced to come together and work out a solution as a team. Which then leads to great bonding moments and hurt/comfort sweetness. GOOD. STUFF.

Also, I'm not sure if these are tropes, maybe they're just categorization tags, but I looove longfics and canon-compliance and missing-scene fics with my whole heart. ❤️

🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

Thank you for the ask, @guardedchild! 💚🩵💛

7. Your favourite ao3 tag.

I'm probably so basic, but it has to be a tie between Hurt/Comfort and Slow Burn. Truly: Is there anything quite like a scene where one character comforts another hurting character? Where a character's aching so badly yet it's not in their nature to ask for help, physical or emotional? My dudes, I LIVE for that type of vulnerability. Stories where characters learn to lower their barriers are my lifeblood. Not to be dramatic ❤️

For ship fics, give me ALL the yearning. ALL the mutual pining. Drag it out for a torturously long time. Make them squirrrm in their unresolved feelings for one another! But have them delay making a move because what if their feelings aren't returned? What if they damage this already-fragile association they have going on between them? Besides, the timing's just not right, it wouldn't be wise to start something now, there's all this chaos reigning around them! ...All before dumping that glorious payoff on us. 🥰 These give me all the best squishy feelings.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

I'm no professional by any means, just a gal who enjoys her hobby, but there are a few tips that have worked for me throughout the years! I'll share three.

Read a whole bunch! It's obvious, but still so helpful. Find writing styles you like and look at what you're reading with a keen eye. Instead of reading just for plot, actively study the text and figure out what it is that makes you drawn to it. Sentence structure, word choice, characterization, you name it. It's all about finding your style and techniques that develop your craft.

In order to "kill your darlings," tell yourself the lie that you'll find a place for them later. (Spoiler alert: You most likely won't find a place for them ever. 😂) I forget where I heard this from, but it's saved me a lot of grief during the writing process. I have a stupidly difficult time nixing scenes and sentences that I've already put a lot of effort into, even after realizing that these "darlings" serve no purpose and need to get the axe. In the past, I often kept them anyways because I worked so hard on them and it hurt me to cut them from the story. It's been lifesaving to cut and paste them into another file while telling myself the lie that I'll work them in later somehow. I usually come up with a much better idea later anyways, so the moral of the story for me is to trust the process.

Understand the rules of writing so you can know when to break them. There are some really helpful pieces of writing advice out there, e.g. "Show and don't tell," "Don't use adverbs," "Write what you know," etc. But personally, I've found that adhering to any one of these to the letter can be restricting. They're good general rules of thumb, but they can limit style and creativity. Many writing "rules" are a lot more flexible than you'd think! It's all about balance and being conscientious. I love me some nicely placed adverbs 😁

~A deep dive into Warriors’s search for healing, and how Sky has something to do with it.

<< Prologue/Chapter 1 <<

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Chapter 10: Eclipse of the Sun

Go to him.

For hours, Sky had been slumped against the wall outside the Earth Spring, plucking off the petals of the heart-shaped flowers growing by the door, when the impression came to him like the crack of a thunderbolt. It was a voice as tangible and powerful as if someone next to him had spoken. Jumping out of his skin, he dropped his flower, his gaze bouncing around the room to determine its origin. When nothing manifested, he cautiously resumed his position against the wall, his ears pricked for other disturbances.

Go to him? Go to who? Warriors?

Warriors was fine. How could he not be? He was only praying, secure inside the spring under Goddess Hylia’s divine watch. Sure, he was taking the whole day… Sky had been sweating up a storm for hours now… but that was just how praying worked sometimes. Receiving holy inspiration took time. There was no cause for alarm.

But then Sky heard it again, this time even stronger:

Go to him now.

And sometimes holy inspiration came like lightning, so he entered the spring.

~A deep dive into Warriors’s search for healing, and how Sky has something to do with it.

<< Prologue/Chapter 1 <<

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Chapter 9: "Shadowboxing"

Warriors wasn’t generally one to spurn an audience, but when his current predicament had him frogmarching to the gallows, he was perfectly content to do without one.

Just like its Skyview counterpart, the Earth Spring was sequestered away from the rest of the temple, swallowed by steam and the sound of running water. It was nearly identical to its twin, with aged pillars and a raised promenade jutting over the pool, but contrary to its twin, this spring was a cave. Locked away from the fresh air, the chamber was devoid of insect and plant life, muggy as the trenches. Only a small skylight existed up top. It wasn’t as hot as the inside of the temple, but even still, the thick moisture mingled with Warriors’s sweat and clung to him like tree sap. Not even the rumble of the waterfalls could drown out the interference in his mind. Not anymore.

He blinked and found himself facing the altar at the end of the walkway, barely cognizant of his feet carrying him across the room. For the second time, he gazed up into Goddess Hylia’s visage. Instead of the peace he’d experienced in the first spring, a frisson of fear coursed through him. The memory of yesterday’s torturous, sleepless night threatened to consume him. He could feel his body tensing beyond his control as it braced for the chastisement that he knew was coming his way. That he knew he deserved.

Surrender yourself, darling…

Enough of this.

~A deep dive into Warriors’s search for healing, and how Sky has something to do with it.

<< Prologue/Chapter 1 <<

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Chapter 8: "Wingman"

“You sure you’ve made up your mind?”

“I’m positive, Link. It’s been a loftwing’s age since something’s felt this right.”

“What if there’s another way? A better way? You’ve only visited one spring. Won’t the Earth Spring paint a clearer picture for you?”

“The Skyview Spring showed me everything I need right now. Going to Skyloft feels good.”

“Does it?”

Zelda looked up from packing away her knitting needles, brow creased in concern. Sky hadn’t meant to sound so woebegone. It was hard not to, though, when the ground felt like it had fallen out from under him.

It was the morning following their trip to Skyview Spring. Their little party of three had just breakfasted together before Warriors had excused himself, saying something about getting in his daily sword exercises before they departed. Sky worried more and more for the captain with each passing day. Warriors had shuffled into camp earlier in a shocking state. Even without injuries, he looked as if he hadn’t slept a wink. His hair was uncharacteristically limp, and his bloodshot eyes and pallid complexion suggested a restless night. Sky could commiserate with him. He hadn’t had a restful night either.

~A deep dive into Warriors’s search for healing, and how Sky has something to do with it.

<< Prologue/Chapter 1 <<

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Chapter 7: "Royal Blue"

As soon as he reached the top of the stairs and found himself encompassed by water, Warriors understood why Zelda had taken so long. The Skyview Spring was aptly named, looking as if it were enchanted to exist in eternal springtime. Waterfalls spilled down towering rock walls on all sides that opened to the bright blue sky above. Daisies and dahlias grew into the cliff faces, infusing the damp air with their perfume. A flagstone walkway with ancient columns extended over the water basin. Warriors ambled onto it, eyeing the pastel butterflies dancing through the air.

Carved into the earth, the spring was a private natural sanctuary—one of the most serene places he had ever encountered. Already he could feel the noise in his mind subsiding, calming his frayed nerves that threatened to split at the ends. The fairy fountains from back home came to mind, though in this case sans the looming deities. Warriors had invoked these deities’ power countless times during the heat of battle but had never appealed to them for something so personal. Never for himself.

But this wasn’t supposed to be for himself. This was for the group.

~A deep dive into Warriors’s search for healing, and how Sky has something to do with it.

<< Prologue/Chapter 1 <<

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Chapter 6: "Between Extremes"

The air crackled and reeked of ozone, thrumming with ancient energy. Clouds gathered until the miasma slipped inside under the doors. Moss carpeting the stone corridors withered and blackened in its wake. The inky blackness crept deeper and deeper, through the chamber, up a flight of steps until it terminated in a dark vortex. Concentric rings of vivid violet spun atop the stairs. The gateway called, consumed, beckoned to the ominous unknown. Spellbinding.

Sights swirled within the darkness, conjuring up gaping mouths and grasping claws… a stench of decay… glittering jewels… red rings, gold rings, violet rings…

Circles… circles…

A deafening crack cleaved the temple dais in two, shattering the circles into a million pieces—

Sky jerked awake as his face smacked into tree bark. Groaning, he rubbed his forehead. A hard slab of wood stared back at him in the dim light. He rolled onto his other side, disoriented.

A tangle of blankets lay deserted on the ground. By some means, he had managed to roll entirely out of his sleeping bag, circling until he reached the wall of the stump. Thoughts jumbled, he continued to lie there, scraping together every last crumb of energy; then, without bothering to change, he grabbed his gear and crawled out of the hole on leaden limbs, squinting as the light outside assaulted him.

~A deep dive into Warriors’s search for healing, and how Sky has something to do with it.

<< Prologue/Chapter 1 <<

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Chapter 5: "The Jungle"

The sun had finally emerged in all its glory, sailing high above the forest on its journey across the cloudless sky. Light split open the lattice of branches to uncover a resplendent world beneath. The woods teemed with life in every direction: the perfect conditions for dispelling darkness in all its forms.

Still, it did little to cut through the jungle inside Warriors’s head.

He plodded through the dense Faron Woods, keeping pace behind Sky and Zelda. The two Skyloftians walked abreast on the trail, following a route known only to them. They were gabbing away about a mishmash of topics, smiley and spirited and brimming with good humor. But Warriors couldn’t keep up with any of it. Arcs of fire kept shooting through his midsection, partially relieved by the ice rod strapped to his hip. With his friends paving the way to the spring, his mind was freed up to its own devices, sorting through the noxious weeds entangling his sensibilities.

Darkness must not taint these hallowed grounds.

The voice bounced around inside his skull until it became thoroughly lodged in the snarl of weeds. He turned it over, picked it apart, parsing its every word.

This was disturbing.